


Missing Conmen

by LadyPenn (i_write_a_lot)



Category: White Collar
Genre: F/M, Gen, Missing, Mozzie's kids, kidnapping conmen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-24
Updated: 2013-07-10
Packaged: 2017-12-16 02:21:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/856652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_write_a_lot/pseuds/LadyPenn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Mozzie asks for Peter and Neal’s help in tracking down a missing kid who’s training to be like Neal, the two of them reluctantly agree to help-only to have Neal snatched in the process of doing so.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Kids Off the Old Block

**Author's Note:**

> -My first 'big' White Collar fic, most of my stories of White Collar so far have been less than 2,000 words. This fic, I think, will wind up being around 5-6,000 words, which is no mean feat. I wrote the first part of the story in less than two hours last night, but don't have the second part yet, as I've been rather busy, though I promise to get it up ASAP. The plot's all worked out, and the only thing I have to do is work on updating the fic, which will be sometime later this week, I promise. 
> 
> -The idea of this fic came when I saw the episode of Mozzie getting shot on the park bench and Neal beseeching the other kids help in getting Mozzie's killer. I don't remember the kids name, having only seen the episode once, so if someone can help out with that, I'd appreciate it. (So spoilers for that episode and the ones beforehand, clearly, though nothing major.)
> 
> -As always, I do not own White Collar much is my misery.

Part 1 of 2

 

“I think you’re just being paranoid, Moz. Kids go away for long periods of time-look at me, I went away to France for how many years before we got into contact again?” Neal asked, exasperated as he walked his friend into Peter’s office. Peter glanced up from the paperwork in surprise. 

“And you know me, Neal. Would I willingly go into the Suit’s office, just for a missing kid?” Mozzie retorted, his voice sharp and high strung. Neal had a hand on the back of his friend’s shoulder, guiding him into the room before shutting the door behind him, and then closing the curtains as well. 

Peter’s sense of dread slowly began to rise-whatever this was, it wasn’t good. 

“Hey, Neal, what’s with-”

“Shush!” Mozzie said, looking around the room with wild eyes. “Neal promised there was no suits here, no one listening in.” 

“And there’s not,” Peter said, calmly, patiently, knowing that he needed every ounce of ‘trust me’ that he usually reserved for families that were being questioned, though he wasn’t sure yet why he was doing so for Mozzie. Except-Mozzie wasn’t usually so wild and frantic, as he appeared to be now. 

“Mozzie, if you don’t calm down in Peter’s SAFE, and SECURE office, then I will make you sit.” Neal actually threatened the man. 

“Okay, what’s going on?” Peter demanded, seeing that they were going to have to get straight to the point. 

“The kids are missing,” Mozzie began, sounding tense. “Markus, Claudia, James, and Terrance.” 

Peter frowned. 

“And?” He asked, puzzled, and Neal shook his head. 

“Forgive Peter for not knowing who they are, Mozzie. He’s supposed to be kept in the dark anyway, remember?” Neal reminded his friend when Mozzie looked at him with wounded eyes. Mozzie quickly recovered. 

“Yes, yes, I sometimes forget-sometimes Suit doesn’t act like a Suit,” 

“And that’s high praise,” Peter muttered under his breath, and Neal shot him a smirk hearing it. “Okay, so who are these kids? Why are they missing?” 

“Four of the very best conmen that Mozzie’s been training. He took them off the streets when they were down in the dumps, with no one caring for them, and they were just regular thieves back then. Now they’re almost adults, and about to start into their own cons and whatnot, if they’re not already doing so.” Neal began to explain, as Mozzie fidgeted and paced the room. “They went missing about one week ago-not a single word from any four of them, and no missing big art pieces either. No major cases, nothing.” 

“And so you’re worried,” Peter said, nodding his head slowly. “Maybe they went to just go visit their family?” He suggested, and Mozzie’s head jerked up angrily. 

“They don’t have family, Suit.” Mozzie snapped. “They’re all orphans, and they’re all on the streets. No one gives them a second look, which is why I was training them, but-”

“Claudia always checks in with Mozzie, and she in turn makes sure that the other three guys are taken care of.” Neal cut in smoothly, throwing Mozzie an exasperated look. “Mozzie, tone it down on Peter, will you? It’s not his fault he doesn’t know any of this!” 

“No, but he SHOULD know…” Mozzie muttered, pacing back and forth. “I’m the only adult besides you that knows of them, Neal.” Mozzie whispered. “What if they’re in trouble? Who’s going to help them?”

Neal threw Peter an anxious, worried look and Peter himself was taken aback-these kids seriously had no one? How could that be? 

He had a sudden image of having kids out in the street, pulling cons and learning just how to charm people, only in order to get shelter for the night. He wondered if that’s how Neal had charmed June into letting him stay, pleading that he had nowhere else to go-

“Okay,” Peter said abruptly. “I need names, ages, and descriptions of what they look like. Can’t search for them if I have no idea of who they are, can I?” He asked delicately, and Neal gave him a grateful look, even as Mozzie pulled out a sheet of paper. 

“Here-everything about them you need to know…their haunts, their ages (or what I think their ages are), they’re usual clients, and anything else I think might help find them. I’ve already looked into almost all of it, but…with nothing coming up so far…” Mozzie shook his head, and Peter nodded. 

“Can I have Diana and Jones in on this, Mozzie?” He asked, seriously. “I know you don’t care for Suits, but…you’re asking Neal and I to carry a lot of ground,” He added. 

Mozzie looked torn, and Peter added on impulse, 

“I swear we won’t lock them or anything when we find them-we’ll bring them straight back to you, or June’s, or wherever you like.” 

Again, Neal looked honestly grateful that Peter was helping, and Peter couldn’t help but feel a little bitter that there were absolutely no adults who bothered about the kids at all. Hell, Neal still looked like a kid himself. He wasn’t even sure he knew Neal’s real age, though he’d guessed somewhere in his twenties or thirties. 

“That’s fine, I guess. Mrs. Suit can help too, with snacks and whatnot-she’s good at that,” Mozzie said offhandedly, pretending disinterest, but Peter knew otherwise. 

“We’ll find them, then. Give me a couple hours or so to get the team set up, and we’ll hunt the city for them. I promise, we’ll try to track them down, Moz.” Peter said seriously, and Mozzie looked as though he was already breathing easier. 

“Okay. Um…you’re not going to hold me here for questioning on the kids, are you? I need-I need to be back at the station, in case I missed them by accident...” Mozzie said anxiously, and Peter sighed. 

“Nah, I think we’ve got it. Neal’s staying here though, I need his help in what we’re going to be dealing with in searching for these talented kids,” Peter said, and Mozzie looked surprised before nodding, and hastily making a quick retreat. Peter stood from his desk, and went to make sure Mozzie went out okay-he didn’t even see the man after the man got out the office doors-and then called out, “Diana, Jones, I need you both here now!” 

Neal was surprised by the intensity of his yell, and the two agents looked up in surprise before abandoning their tasks-Diana took a minute to save whatever she was doing on her computer, clearly-but then they were almost immediately in his office, and Neal shut the door behind them. 

“We do something, boss?” Jones asked, looking anxious and worried. 

“No, but you’re about to. I need you and Diana’s help in finding some lost kids.” Peter said, and the two looked at one another. 

“Isn’t Missing Persons another division?” Diana asked, frowning. 

“Yeah, but these are kids that Mozzie knows. They’ve been missing for a week, and they’re training to be conmen like Neal had done before he started getting…well...” Peter trailed off, realizing that he didn’t want to say-

“Famous?” Neal asked, with a bright look. “Wow, Peter, I didn’t think you’d thought that well of me!” 

Peter groaned, but handed Jones Mozzie’s list. 

“Here. Four missing kids, all at the ages of-“”

“Er, Peter.” Neal said quietly, and Peter looked up, as did Jones and Diana, towards Neal. “These kids aren’t just some of Mozzie’s. They’re some of Mozzie’s best and brightest, so to speak. These kids are Mozzie’s favorites.”

It took about two minutes for that to sink in, and then all three of them turned grim, and Peter groaned. 

“You’re saying that someone abducted Mozzie’s four best conmen kids to…what? Gain attention? Steal something?” 

“Or worse,” Neal said grimly. “Four kid conmen. Four really awesome conmen. One of them being a young woman who keeps tabs on the others to help out with Mozzie. All four of them knowing Moz.” 

“Someone’s trying to set something up,” Diana said, grim understanding dawning. 

“And they’re using kids?” Jones asked, disgusted and angry. He hated whenever innocent children got involved in their White Collar crimes, but then again-all of them did. 

Peter closed his eyes, wondering-why did they always get the cases that spelled the worst disasters about to strike?-before he opened them, and turned towards Neal. 

“Okay. Since Mozzie specifically asked this to be kept on the down low, we’re going to have to use either my place or June’s, if June wouldn’t mind.”

“She won’t. And she’d love having Elizabeth over again.” Neal added, seriously. “And she can bring Satchmo, who can keep Bugsy company.” 

Peter nodded, a half-smile on his face about the two dogs finally meeting one another, while he was thinking more serious thoughts about the missing kids. 

“What if they want to kidnap more?” Diana asked, unexpectedly, making the three men in the office turn towards her. “What if they snag others of Mozzie’s people?”

Neal was already digging out his phone, and they watched. 

“Moz? Yeah-Diana says that you need to get everyone together, and warn them that someone might be snatching up more of-oh. You’re already doing that? Well, yeah, great minds. I’ll tell her.” Neal hung up his phone and turned towards her with a grin on his face that none of them trusted for a minute, and true enough-

“Mozzie says that you’re smart for thinking that, though a little slower than what he was already planning-”

“Oh, shut up.” Diana grumbled, but she still was smiling slightly. It wasn’t everyday a conman called a ‘Suit’ smart. 

“So,” Peter said, already grabbing his things before they’d head to his car. “Neal, call June and let her know she may be having company. Diana, and Jones-“”

“We’re already taking care of things, boss, don’t worry.” Jones reassured him, even as Peter paused when opening the door. 

“You two don’t have to do this. This case might wind up being more dangerous than we think,” Peter began, but Diana shook her head, even as Jones was speaking up, 

“Boss, I hate saying it-but you really need to shut up now.” Peter raised an eyebrow, and even Diana and Neal looked impressed at his bravery. “These are kids. I don’t care if they’re conmen, they’re kids and they need help. Personally, I’ve always had a soft spot for kids. I’m not going to let them, Mozzie, or you down by stepping away from this case.” Jones said seriously. 

Peter cleared his throat, and Jones had the grace to look a little embarrassed for telling him to shut up. 

“Right then. Diana?” She shook her head wordlessly, for once letting Jones get that one. “Okay. Let’s get this show on the road then.” He said, and they headed out. 

**White Collar**

June’s kitchen was crowded, for once: June, Bugsy, Satchmo, Elizabeth, Peter, Jones, Diana, Neal, and eventually even Mozzie were all there sitting together, as Mozzie was talking to them about the kids, and what they generally did. 

Coffee, little cakes and sandwiches, different fruits and cheeses were spread out for the guests, and every now and then they’d help themselves to something as it had been a few hours since breakfast. June, herself, had already sent for some food for the group for a belated lunch. 

“Okay, so it’s Claudia at the head of the group-find her, and you’ll find the other three?” Peter checked with Mozzie, who nodded seriously. 

“Claudia’s the brightest, but also the hardest to crack out of them. She knows Neal, but the two of them are…well…let’s just say cons don’t trust cons.” Mozzie said, and Peter rolled his eyes, while Jones snickered. Elizabeth looked worried, and Diana was already looking up things on the computer. Neal was talking on his cell, and June was playing with Satchmo, who she thought was utterly adorable, and Bugsy obviously loved playing with Satchmo as well. The smaller dog was-literally-running circles around the bigger dog, both of them every now and again barking, though not loudly. Peter was seeing that he might have to take Satchmo to June’s later. 

“Okay,” Neal said into his phone. “Hey, Moz, Darrel says that he hasn’t heard of anything in a while from Claudia, and was thinking of coming up for a visit-I told him of the situation, and he’s letting everyone there know about it, so that everyone can keep an eye out and guard for trouble and in case they see Claudia.” Neal told him. 

“Tell Darrel that the Cuckoo Flew Into the Fire, and that it’s a Troubling Time,” Mozzie said absently, and Peter couldn’t help but simply marvel at how…in depth this whole system was. Clearly there were a lot more people who were doing cons than he’d ever realized. 

“Hey, boss, there’s nothing in the local area, but the guys in Brooklyn said that they heard something about a couple of kids going missing during the Ball at Theodore’s last Tuesday around midnight, causing a disturbance for a couple of rich guys that were there. 

“They described Terrance and, uh,” Diana scanned the notes of the missing kids. “Markus,” Diana said, stumbling a bit over the odd name. 

“Markus would usually take Terrance with him on the big cases, though pulling a con with a partner at that young of an age can be quite tricky.” Mozzie said with a frown. “I’ve tried to tell them that, but neither would listen, saying that they liked working together. They’re a lot like Sam and Dean in that regard.”

“Who?” Peter asked, confused. 

“Sam and Dean Winchester-off of Supernatural. You should watch that show, Suit, you’d learn a lot of things.” Mozzie said, dreamily. “Don’t you think that Suit would make an excellent Bobby. You’d likely wind up being Sam, Neal, with how you charm everyone.”

“Yeah, and who’d be Dean?” Neal countered, looking relieved that Mozzie was actually talking normal-well, for Mozzie anyway. 

“I still have no idea what any of you are talking about,” Peter objected, and Diana startled them by saying, 

“Sam and Dean Winchester-they hunt demons, and monsters and protect innocent people, Boss. It’s off a show called Supernatural.” 

When Mozzie turned to stare at her, she flushed. 

“Er, my girlfriend watches it.” She explained, and Mozzie nodded as if that made more sense. Peter rolled his eyes. 

“Okay, so, two brothers that hunt monsters. Right. Anyway, any progress at all besides locating where Terrance and Markus were last at? What about, what was that other kids name besides Claudia?” Peter asked, frowning. 

“James.” Mozzie said immediately. “He’s the youngest, and the…well, the most like Neal, I would say.” 

“How can there be no one else who doesn’t know about these kids?” Elizabeth asked, frowning at Mozzie. “Surely there are…other conners? Conmen? That knows about them, right?” 

“Some, yes, but I’ve already checked with them. They know absolutely nothing, as most of them were in the middle of cons themselves.”

“I hadn’t realized that there was that much conning going around the city,” Peter said dryly, getting a laugh from Neal. 

“You’d be surprised, Suit.” Mozzie said, and then his phone rang. He quickly answered it. “Yeah?” He asked, and there was a momentary pause as all of them watched Mozzie. “221b, Mycroft situation.” Mozzie stated. Peter frowned, wondering why that name sounded familiar, though he saw Diana snicker, and Jones roll his eyes, and June look rather amused. Elizabeth was playing with the dogs now, taking over from June, and petting Bugsy. “Not secure, no, but protected yes.” He added, and Peter frowned at the contradiction there. “You know about C’s last mission? Up front payment as usual? Yes, that’s right…” Mozzie hesitated. “Hat’s here, too.” He added, and Peter guessed that ‘Hat’ meant Neal. 

The phone call was cut short, and Mozzie turned towards Neal. 

“That was Noise, and he says that he hasn’t heard any chatter whatsoever.”

“So no one knows anything. Either the guys that kidnapped your kids are really really good, or they’re just all off on missions in different countries,” Peter mused. 

“I’m aiming for the first one,” Neal said immediately. “I’m off to get more coffee, anyone want any requests?” 

They all shook their heads, and Neal got up to head into the kitchen proper. June’s house was weird, sometimes, to Peter-it had a mini kitchen, of where they were at now, and a rather large kitchen. The mini kitchen was for her bookclub and other important meetings, which was why they were using it now. It was also the most comfortable room too, Peter felt. 

“Okay, so-”

A crash in the kitchen made him, Jones, and Diana jump up, and Mozzie maneveroured himself so that he was between Elizabeth and June. 

All three of their agents had hands on their guns, and Peter called, 

“Neal?” 

He was already pushing open the door-one of those that swung open with a gentle touch-and looking into the kitchen. At first, he didn’t register what he was seeing, until-too late, he drew his gun, and aimed at the three men that were carrying a struggling   
Neal Caffrey out of the door of the house. 

“Neal! Diana, Jones-”

They were already at his side. Well, Jones was, and Diana-he felt she was going around the back. Peter dashed towards the door where they’d gone out of, and looked quickly to see where they were-in time to see a yellow van screeching off from the tiny side street out towards traffic. He caught a glimpse of the plates, memorized them almost immediately, and saw the van disappear around the corner. 

“Well,” Jones said, in the silent aftermath. “Make that five.”

**White Collar**

The sitting around waiting while everyone had been talking about the kids made Neal rather bored rather quick, though he was trying to help Mozzie as well by calling all the people he could think to call. Eventually though, he just had to get up and do something, so he wandered into the kitchen to get refills on June’s excellent coffee. 

Which had turned out to be a mistake, he’d realized almost immediately when he’d wandered in, and the door to the side street that usually had catered in deliveries from highly prized, expensive restaurants drop food in for June swung open, revealing three men with large guns. 

Neal didn’t have time to do anything but bomb the coffee pot, and try to make a run for it, but they quickly out matched his distance, and grabbed him. One stuffed a rag into his mouth, and he choked a bit, fighting blindly by kicking and punching out as much as possible. 

He might take Diana up on those self-defense classes later, should he get out of this. 

Neal had heard Peter’s frantic “Neal!” before he’d been thrown into the back of a van (he would hate vans the rest of his life, and not just because of this one, he knew), and for a moment things went dark when the doors shut, and then the sound of tires screeched, and he felt them moving along the road. 

He was now in serious trouble, and he could only hope that Peter would be able to catch him and get him out of it. 

Again. 

**End Part 1**


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Neal’s working on escaping his kidnappers and freeing the kids along with him, Peter works on figuring out why the kidnappers wanted them in the first place while tracking down Neal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Er, I lied. It looks like it's going to be a total of three parts. Sorry! But the third part should come up soon, and as promised, here's the second part of the story! 
> 
> -As always I don't own White Collar.
> 
> -This probably needs a beta rather desperately, as it's my first chapter case fic for the fandom, and not to mention I know there's a bunch of errors, but I wanted to update anyway. Eventually, I may go back and look things over when I get the time, but for now, all mistakes are mine.

“Maybe he’s dead,” Those were the first words that Neal slowly became aware of, as he began to come back to the land of the conscious. 

“Why would they toss a dead guy in with us?” Another voice asked, this one also male, and sounding belligerent and implying ‘moron’ without having to actually say it. 

“To scare us further? Because it’s working,” The first voice offered, and a new voice cut in-this one female. 

“Will you two shut up? He’s waking up. Maybe he’s one of the good guys, like us. He’s young enough to be,” She snapped, sounding tense. 

With that, Neal groaned softly as his head really began to pound. He slowly opened his eyes to see the missing kids that they’d been searching for. 

And that meant that he’d been kidnapped too. 

Peter was going to kill him. 

“Hey, mister-are you okay?” The first guy who’d spoken (Terrance, his mind told him absently), asked as he began pushing himself up. 

“Peachy,” Neal muttered, wincing at the bright lights above them. Typical prison cell, he thought with an inner sigh. That meant that they were either going to be forced to work on something and then brought back here to sleep or whatever, OR they were the main prizes, to be sold off…he cut that thought off before it could be finished, and sat up as he realized exactly how bad a spot he was in. 

“Who are you?” The girl, who was quite obviously Claudia, asked suspiciously. “Why’d they kidnap you and throw you in with us?”

“I’m Neal Caffrey,” He began, and she snorted. 

“Yeah right-Neal Caffrey is older, and has way more muscles. You can’t possibly be Neal Caffrey.” 

Neal felt a flicker of annoyance at that, but hid it by giving her a charming smile. 

“I’m Neal Caffrey. Mozzie sent me to get you guys back, and I was working with Peter Burke when I was snatched…which was a very stupid move on your hostagers parts.” Neal mused. “Peter’s likely tracking us down now, with his cohorts.”

“Cohorts?” Terrance asked, sounding confused. 

“Team mates. FBI agent partners,” Neal explained with a shrug, even as he was checking around the cell. Nothing much there. Only Claudia, Terrance, James…

“Where’s Markus?” Neal demanded, and Claudia nodded to the corner of the room. Markus was standing in the corner, watching them with his arms folded over his chest, a look that could only be described as ‘untrusting’ at him. Neal began searching his pockets, and crowed in victory when he found his cell. “Ha! Idiots didn’t take my phone. Amateurs,” He snorted, and began dialing Peter’s phone. “Hey, Peter, it’s me Neal-obviously…no, I don’t know where I am…yes, I’m fine, and yes, I’m with the kids too. They all seem okay. No one looks seriously injured, though I don’t doubt they can use a checkup just in case.” Neal agreed, as he watched the kids carefully. “Listen, between the five of us, I think that-er, hold on, we’ve got company coming,” Neal hissed, and shoved his phone into his pocket, standing as he did so and looking to play the part. “You kids stay behind me,” Neal muttered. Terrance seemed to not have an issue with that order, Claudia stood only a little at his side, and James and Markus moved to stand next to one another, in the corner of the room. 

In came a man that Neal wasn’t at all familiar with. 

“Ah, the great Neal Caffrey…and all of your leading competition in this city, I believe.” The man said with a smile that seemed more cold than cheerful. “I was told you were cooperative if you had some human leverage for us to use. I was also told how you hated violence.” He said, and one of the goons at his side brought out a gun, and aimed it straight at Claudia, who ducked behind Neal. 

“What do you want?” Neal asked sharply, keeping the kids firmly planted behind him. Now Markus and James were also behind him, all four of the kids looking tense and uneasy. 

“I want your full cooperation. You work with me willingly, and none of the children here will be harmed-you have my word.”

“Well, not knowing who you are, I can’t exactly trust your word, now can I?” Neal asked bluntly. 

The man smiled. 

“A fair point. Very well-my name is-”

A tap on the man’s shoulder made him sigh. 

“Will you excuse me? I hate being interrupted, but I’m never interrupted unless it’s an emergency.” He said, sounding vaguely bored and apologetic by it all. Neal crossed his arms over his chest and waited, already thinking of many different scenarios to help get the kids free, while keeping him here as a means of the kids freedom. 

A few seconds later, and the man exploded, 

“What do you mean; the cops are coming our way? I thought I told you to put mud on the plates, you useless-” And the kids screamed (except for Markus, Neal noticed) when he abruptly shot and killed the man that had worked for him. 

Well, the odds just got better into their favor, Neal thought grimly, as the man turned sharply towards him. 

“You, Caffrey, are quickly becoming a pain in the ass.”

“Yeah, I’m told that I have a skill of doing that,” Neal agreed, throwing him his most charming face. 

“I had heard such, but I did not think that you would become quite such a pain in the ass quickly as you have done so.” The man admitted, frowning. “Which was my fault, so I will not punish you for just being as good as people say you are. Now then, the police are coming our way, and unfortunately, I need your assistance with some bonds, as well as a number of paintings that I have collected into my personal stash, provided by my brother.”

“And you are?” Neal prompted, and he sighed. 

“Isaac Crowley, I work with the mob in California, I’m sure you may have heard of me?” He prompted, and Neal just shook his head. 

“Sorry, no, name doesn’t sound familiar in the slightest, and nor did I hear about this mob in California. The Dentist of Detroit never mentioned any such thing to me before,” Neal informed him with a knowing look. 

The man frowned. 

“The Dentist? I have heard of no such man,” He stated, sounding puzzled. Neal sighed. 

“Well, maybe it’s a miscommunications thing. I’m sure you didn’t have to go through all this trouble, capturing kids just to get me to cooperate. I’m a reasonable man, as I’m sure you’ve heard about.” Neal said, gesturing. Isaac nodded. 

“Yes, indeed, I’ve heard that as well. But I’ve also heard that you work with the FBI,” Isaac said, and Neal heard the kids behind him draw in a sharp breath. 

“I don’t work for the FBI. I’m just one of their many ‘resources’ to use until my prison sentence is done. Working is better than being stuck in a tiny cell day by day, is it not?” Neal asked, staring at him. 

“I believe I agree with that statement, yes, but I fear I cannot trust you.” He said apologetically. “Which is why I feel that I must ask you to choose one of the many children I have captured, to take with us.”

“Really? You can’t leave them all here?” Neal asked, sounding skeptical. “They’re a pain in the ass; at least kids normally are, unless you train them yourselves.” Neal told him, and Isaac looked thoughtful. 

“Very well,” He said, and aimed his pistol straight towards one of the four teens that were scattered besides Neal, and fired. Markus barely managed to shove James out of the way, and the bullet went straight through his left shoulder. The three kids fell down to Markus’s side, each of the crying and trying to shake him awake. Claudia looked up in rage at Isaac, as she was already putting her jacket on the wound, trying to get it to stop bleeding. Neal felt frozen. “Do you still want to continue this? I am sure that it will not end prettily, and I would hate to have to force you to such drastic measures,” Isaac said, bored.   
Neal forced himself to move. 

“Claudia,” He said, bending down towards her. “Keep the wound tight on him, wrap him in my jacket too,” Neal spared a thought to June, feeling bad about ruining yet another suit. Maybe he should stop wearing them to work, but then they’d just sit in the closet and go to waste. He hoped Bryon wouldn’t mind, as it was going towards a good cause.

And hopefully Peter would get to them fast enough that he could actually manage to save the suit for a change.

**White Collar**

Even as Neal was struggling to keep calm, Claudia was raging inside. How dare this monster hurt one of her family? One of her brothers? Even if they weren’t blood or birth brothers, they were sure as hell family, and she counted them as such. She could feel Markus’s blood on her hands, even as she was struggling to tighten the knot of the jacket so it would help stop the bleeding.   
Neal was going to choose, choose her, she knew instinctively. She didn’t want to be chosen, but she knew that Neal didn’t want to leave them all to die, and she couldn’t help but admire his courage, even as she screamed at him for trying to be friendly with that monster. 

“Claudia,” Neal said slowly, turning towards Crowley, and Claudia was holding Neal’s jacket and wrapping it around Markus-when she realized what Neal had just done. Neal had handed them their jacket. The jacket that contained his cell phone, which was still turned on to the FBI. Being directly behind Neal, she was able to hastily use her hands to communicate sign language to Terrance, who watched her with wide eyes, even as she signed. At first, she thought that he might be too much in shock to understand, but he slowly shook his head-and she realized that he was trying to fake what he was saying; at least, she seriously hoped so. 

“No…please don’t…” Terrance breathed, and Neal shot him a look. 

“Shut up,” Neal hissed, sounding stern and angry (and a part of her observed how much hotter he looked when he did). 

“I’ll go…but please…don’t lock them in here? None of them know what to do with a bullet wound,” Claudia pleaded towards Crowley, who gazed at her with a frown on his face. 

“Fine,” He said slowly, reluctantly. “I will leave the door unlocked, but you, Caffrey, and I are now leaving, pretty. Come along, and leave the boys to their own devices. They can have some male bonding experiences. I assume it’s hard to concentrate with a female in the room anyway,” He said, bored, and she felt a wave of fury, even as James grasped her hand suddenly and gave it three squeezes. 

She squeezed back three times as well, as it basically meant for her to please stay safe/alive. She slowly stood, and used Neal’s   
pants to wipe some of the blood off. A part of her felt a flicker of satisfaction at seeing him flinch just a tiny bit. 

“Alright then,” She said hesitantly. “Let’s go.”

They went. 

**White Collar**

It took Peter and the team two hours to finally reach where the boys were. Due to the cell phone being in a jacket pocket, it was a little hard to concentrate on what was being said, but eventually it was pulled out, and one of the kids spoke, sounding urgent. 

Upon arrival at the scene, he found that Claudia and Neal were both gone, but Markus was lying on the floor, shot, and James and Terrance were hovering over him, James holding the cell phone. 

“FBI Agent Peter Burke-where’s Neal and Claudia?” Peter barked, even as Mozzie was moving towards the teens rapidly. Terrance hugged Mozzie (startling Peter with that, but he put it out of his mind for now), and who hugged him back and began to bend down to help Markus. 

“Crowley took them. Isaac Crowley, from-” James began, and Mozzie finished looking pale. 

“From the California Mob. Those are seriously powerful mobsters, Suit. How’s Markus doing, and how long as he been shot?”

“I’m doing fine, old man.” Markus grunted, sounding as though he were barely suppressing his pain as he did so. Peter gave him a sympathetic look, just as Diana stepped into the room. 

“Jones says that the area of the building is clear-the kids were the only ones here. Ambulance is on its way, ETA five minutes,” She told him, and Peter nodded his thanks. “Any luck on Caffrey?” 

“Gone,” Peter said grimly. “And with no way to trace him, either.” 

It seemed as though Caffrey had, once again, slipped through their fingers.

**End Part Two**


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “This was your plan all along,” Neal realized as he looked up from the safe. “You only wanted me…you got us distracted from your actual goals by kidnapping those kids, and now…”  
> Isaac smirked.   
> “And now I have you,” Isaac purred, pushing the gun against Neal’s back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -I apologize for the wait: not only was I ill for about a week with sinus issues amongst other things, I had computer issues, and couldn't get connected to wifi. 
> 
> -I do not own White Collar. This was written purely for my own amusement. 
> 
> -This chapter wasn't beta'd, so all errors are mine. (this was also written mostly while I was ill, and around two in the morning when I couldn't sleep)
> 
> -kudos and comments much appreciated! Thanks to all those that have enjoyed and stuck with the story so far!

Neal and Claudia were both hostages, and Neal was thinking fast.

Peter had probably tracked them as far as that cell back there, but now they were moving towards a bank, of which was quite large and well known. The Citizens Bank of New York was one of the most public places a person could be, and Neal’s bad feeling was beginning to grow rather rapidly. 

He needed to figure out a way to get Claudia to safety, and tell Peter where they were so that he could come and get him. 

“What’s your plan, Isaac?” Neal asked, without turning around. The three of them were currently at the doors of the bank, and it seemed as though they were waiting for something. “Seriously, why bring us here?” 

“Because this is where I had intended for things to work out.” Isaac said cryptically, and Neal thought frantically trying, to decipher what he meant. 

“You’re using us as a con,” Claudia supplied, and Neal had to admire her quick thinking. 

Isaac laughed. 

“And a penny for the smart lady,” He crowed in amusement. “Now then, let’s have a volunteer, shall we?”

“I’ll do it,” Neal said quickly, before he could finish. “Let Claudia go, and you have me.”

“Ah, but Claudia is a key part of the distraction of getting into the biggest vault.” Isaac told him seriously. “She’ll be distracting the guards, while you slip in and steal all the cash within.” 

“But those are marked,” Neal said, confused, as Claudia frowned.

“And how am I supposed to distract the guards? Usually, if I have a heads up, I can come up with a plan, but…” She stammered as the gun was suddenly pointed her way. 

“You’ll distract the guards, or I’ll shoot Mr. Caffrey, and then I’ll shoot every person in this bank, and tie you up and leave you as the one that shot them all.” Isaac said darkly, and she paled. 

Neal glared, suddenly hating him just as much as he hated Vincent Adler and Matthew Keller and all the other bastards he’d met over the years. Isaac Crowley was a pain the ass, and he and Peter were going to bring him in, even if it was the last thing that he wound up doing. 

**White Collar**

“The kids are in the hospital, with agents attached…and Mozzie,” Diana told him. 

“But Mozzie hates hospitals, and FBI agents,” Jones said with a smirk. Diana smirked back, looking as though she’d been enjoying teasing the skittish conman.

“And Markus is doing well?”

“He’s had a bit of surgery for his arm, but beyond that, yeah all of them are fine-if a bit shaken up. They refused to split up rooms, so I got three beds in their for them, and tripled the guards. I let the staff at the hospital know what was going on,” Diana explained, and Peter nodded slowly. 

“Good.” Peter couldn’t help but wonder what Neal was doing right now…if he was doing well, if he was freaking out, if he was getting Claudia freed…two people’s lives were in the balance, and Peter had no leads on either of them. “Any leads?”

“Nothing.” Diana said, with a shake of her head. “We’ve checked everything…”

“Except Caffrey’s anklet monitor,” Jones finished, suddenly, looking startled. “We’d forgotten-how had we forgotten that?” Jones demanded, sounding irate with himself. Peter wasn’t far behind. 

“Get the laptop,” He ordered Diana, who was already working on it. She grabbed the laptop, and the two of them hastily began looking and then Diana said earnestly, 

“Boss! He’s at the bank! Citizen’s Bank!” 

“Get a team together, we’re going after them!” Peter snapped, grabbing his jacket and dashing towards the van. Jones was working on getting the team, even as Diana was bringing up the rear with the laptop and following him.

**White Collar**

Claudia managed to get out of sight of Isaac Crowley, though she felt a flicker of worry for Neal as she did so. She wasn’t sure WHY she felt as she did, just that the emotion was there. 

Maybe because he’d protected them back at that cage? 

She shook her head, and managed to get to the guard, made a quick argument about using his phone about a con going down (he didn’t understand it in the slightest) and texted Neal’s boss as Neal had slipped her a card while they’d been together with Crowley. 

Then she gave the phone back to the guard, who promised to talk to the guy, and snagged the keys and made her way back to the pair who were now waiting patiently next to the door to get into the hallway down to the money pit.

**White Collar**

“You got the keys?” Isaac asked, as he held the gun against Neal. Claudia held them out, her hand shaking just a bit, and he snatched them from her. “Alright, good.” And they were escorted into the hallway after unlocking the room, and then the money pit was opened…and all they could do was stare at the large pile of cash that was sitting there before them. 

“Excellent,” Isaac said with a smug look. “You, in,” He ordered Claudia, who shook her head, and hastily backed out-and fled. Isaac bit back a curse, and Neal smirked at him. 

“We cons never listen to you people, unless we’ve got no other choice.”

He then yelped in surprise when Isaac pressed him against the wall, and said, 

“I didn’t really need her. I was going to just kill her once she was in here, place her body in the corner, and have you standing over her with the gun…a crime that even your so called FBI partner wouldn’t be able to shake off doubt from.” Isaac said with a smirk. 

Slow realization dawned. 

“This was your plan all along,” Neal realized as he looked up from the safe. “You only wanted me…you got us distracted from your actual goals by kidnapping those kids, and now…”

Isaac smirked. 

“And now I have you,” Isaac purred, pushing the gun against Neal’s back.

Neal stared, and blurted, 

“But why? Why set me up?”

“Because you robbed from me once!” Isaac Crowley snarled. “I was going to go after the music box, but you stole it before I could ever gain access to it! I had a plan, I was going to take it and sell it to the highest bidder on the black market, but you stole it right out of my hands. Do you realize how much that music box is worth?” 

The music box. 

Always back to the damn music box…

Kate…

Neal swallowed, and shook his head, and Isaac growled looking as though he was going to kill Neal right here. 

Neal couldn’t help but hope that Peter was right on his trail. 

Because he had the feeling that time was running out. 

**White Collar**

“Damn, damn, damn-move out of the way!” Peter snapped out at the crowd of people in the lobby of the bank. Several jumped aside in surprise at his words, and Diana was moving fast behind him. They’d just reached the point where Peter was unsure of where to go, when a young woman who could only be Claudia ran up to him, looking terrified. 

“Claudia? Where’s Neal?” Diana asked, grabbing the girl. 

“He’s in there, with Crowley!” She said, pointing. 

“Jones with me, Diana you get her to the hospital!” Peter barked, and Diana nodded anxiously, already working on it. 

**White Collar**

“So…you’re just going to kill me then?” Neal asked, as Isaac kept the gun pressed against his chest. Neal could feel the adrenaline pumping through his system frantically, and he was seriously thinking that he might well be screwed. 

“I’m thinking about it…can you persuade me not to?” Isaac asked with a raised eyebrow. “Do you still have the music box?” 

“It was stolen,” Neal admitted. 

Isaac sighed. 

“Ah, well. It was worth-” He started to say, and that was when Peter blissfully arrived. 

“FBI, DROP YOUR WEAPON!” Peter shouted, and the shouting bounced around in the tiny room making Neal flinch, and then yelp   
when Isaac drew him tightly around to the familiar hostage position that Neal was frankly getting tired of. Seriously, why couldn’t Peter be the one to be the hostage for a change? 

“I don’t think so!” Isaac called, backing into the corner. “You let me out right now, or I shoot Caffrey!” 

“You shoot him, I’ll shoot you!” Peter called back. “Jones here will say that it was a case of misfire, right Jones?” 

“Right, boss!” Jones said from somewhere in the hallway. Neal winced as Isaac’s grip tightened. 

“Damn it, Crowley, you’re surrounded and you have no way-“” Peter was saying, and that was when Neal acted-

Using a move that he’d learned from Diana, he twisted his foot around Isaac’s, and brought him forcefully down onto the floor. He quickly rolled free, and jumped towards the door, and ducked as a bullet roared past him and hit the wall. 

Peter quickly came rushing in with Jones, and Jones subdued Isaac who put up a brief struggle, though Jones hastily knocked him up against the wall while putting cuffs on him and reading him his rights. 

“You okay?” Peter asked, crouching down next to Neal who was on his back, with his hands and feet propping him up, watching Jones arrest Crowley with wide eyes. 

“Fine.” He paused. “You know, I’m never going to hate your always being on time thing.” 

Peter quirked a smile. 

**White Collar**

The entire team, Mozzie, June, Elizabeth, and Mozzie’s kids were all settled into June’s living room, enjoying the last few bites of dinner. The boys were in casts and bandages, and Claudia was sitting between them. Everyone looked to be enjoying the evening, and Peter couldn’t help but think that this was almost like having a rather large family…

One that got into all kinds of trouble. 

“Suit…can I talk to you…in private?” Mozzie hissed from behind him. Curious, Peter followed him-knowing that it must be important if Mozzie was asking to speak with him in private, being a suit and all-out onto June’s beautiful balcony. The night air was a bit cool, but not too cold to need a jacket, and he could faintly make out a star here and there. 

“Suit,” Mozzie began, in a normal tone. “I asked you for help, and you helped me. I wasn’t expecting you to help me at all, seeing that you were a suit, but…you helped me.”

“What else was I going to do?” Peter asked, staring at the rather confusing man before him. 

“Ignore the matter. Push it off to someone who was less important in your company. Say no?” Mozzie shrugged. 

Peter frowned. 

“I’ve told you Moz, anytime you need help with anything, I’ll be glad to help…so long as it’s legal,” Peter added hastily, and Mozzie smirked. 

“I’ll hold you too it suit,” He said, with a little bow…and vanished into the dark corners of the balcony. 

Peter shook his head at the crazy man, and almost jumped when Neal came out. 

“You’re missing the party, you know.” Neal told him, glancing around the area. “Talk to Moz?”

“Yup. Your friend is rather crazy,” Peter pointed out. Neal grinned. 

“Oh, I know.” Neal admitted, shrugging. “By the way, here. I got your phone back.” Neal handed him his cell phone, making Peter   
sigh and tuck right back into his pocket. 

“I save his best con kids, and what do I get in return? A stolen cell phone,” He paused as he searched his pockets, realizing something else was missing. “Where’s my wallet? And my keys?”

Neal’s laughter could be heard all the way from the living room.

**White Collar**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End!
> 
> Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Comments, Questions, and Kudos are much love!


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